Convertible mine cars with flanged and rubber tired wheels



Nov. 21, 1967 F. N. KERSEY ETAL 3,

CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGED AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS Filed Oct. 7,1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E5] Frank N. KQISZy, INVENTORS c/ohn LKerseyc/nand FenfH/(emp.

ATTORNEY.

N ,1 F. N. KERSEY ETAL 3,353,504

CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGE!) AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELS- Filed Oct.7, 1965 2 sheets-sheet 2 39 grill/111K av/11111111 I.

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25 .INVENTORS. v Frank N. Kersey, John L. Kemeyr i} and Pen! H. Kemp.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Ofitice CONVERTIBLE MINE CARS WITH FLANGED ANDRUBBER TIRED WHEELS Frank N. Kersey, John L. Kersey, Jr., and Trent H.Kemp,

Bluefield, Va., assignors to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America,Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 7, 1965, Ser. No.493,669

Claims. (Cl. 105215) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mine car with flangedrailroad wheels and retractable rubber tired wheels for convertible useon rails or a mine floor.

This invention relates to mine cars and more particularly to mine cars,such as haulage units, which may be operated in coal mines having someareas equipped with railroad tracks and others not so equipped.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a mine carthat may be operated on railroad tracks where they exist and alternatelyon the floor of the mine as, for example, in areas thereof beyond therailroad tracks.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mine car withself-contained means for lowering and raising rubber tired wheelsthereon so that it can be operated on rail;oad tracks with the rubbertired wheels in raised position or on the mine floor with the rubbertired wheels in lowered position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mine carincorporating self-contained means for adiustably positioning its rubbertired ground engaging wheels.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a mine carwhich may be conveniently and easily towed by a mine tractor and used inhauling various supplies and/or coal or other minerals being mined.

The mine car with rail and rubber tired wheels disclosed herein isparticularly useful in coal mines wherein the mining face is located atsome distance from the railroad tracks in the older part of the mine.

The mine car is provided with vertically movable rubber tired wheels andmeans for moving the rubber tired wheels vertically so that with therubber tired wheels in elevated position, the mine car can operateefliciently on railroad tracks and with its rubber tired wheels inlowered position, it can operate efiiciently on the mine floor. The minecar disclosed herein is adapted to be pulled by a mine tractor such asknown in the art.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the mine car showing the rubber tiredwheels in lowered position.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the mine car with broken linesillustrating the flanged rail engaging wheels and their supporting meanstherebeneath.

FIGURE 3 is a side view showing the mine car in position over railroadtracks and with broken lines illustrating the alternate position of therubber tired wheels.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the body portion of the mine car withparts removed and illustrating the hydraulic wheels actuating mechanism.

Patented Nov. 21, 1967 FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical section on line5-5 of FIGURE 2 showing the rubber tired wheels in raised position.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section similar to FIGURE 5 and showing therubber tired wheels in lowered position.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will beseen that the mine car comprises a vehicle having an integral frame andbody, including a horizontal bottom 10, vertically standing side walls11 and 12 and end walls 13 and 14. The end walls 13 and 14 are removablypositioned and the bottom 10 or floor of the car extends beyond endwalls 13 and 14 and includes rubber cushioned coupling constructionsarranged for interengagement coupling relation with similarconstructions on other mine cars, trailers, mine tractors or the like.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings the coupling construction 15 on the left endof the mine car is arranged to telescopically receive projectingapertured tongues from the matching coupler and includes a centrallyposition d vertically apertured member 16 for spacing the tongues of theopposite portion of the coupler. The coupling construction on theopposite or right end of the mine car is indicated by the numeral 17.The bottom 10 or floor of the mine car is supported by a horizontallydisposed framework as best seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. By referringthereto, it will be seen that broken lines illustrate a plurality oflongitudinally spaced transversely positioned frame members 18 whichextend beneath the opposite sides 11 and 12 and are continuously securedto the bottom or floor 10. Longitudinally spaced pairs of these framemembers 18 provide means for directly and indirectly mounting fourflanged rail wheels 19 it being observed that short longitudinallyextending stub frame members 20 are positioned between the pairs oftransverse frame members 18 on the right half of the mine car as seen inFIG- URE 2 and that transversely positioned stub axles mount the twotransversely spaced flanged rail wheels 19 beneath this half of the car.The flanged rail wheels 19 under the left half of the car as seen inFIGURE 2 of the drawings are mounted on a tilt frame which includeslongitudinal members 21 and a plurality of cross members 22, the crossmembers 22 providing means for journalling stub axles upon which theflanged rail wheels 19 are rotatably positioned. The tilt frame ispivoted between a pair of the longitudinally extending frame members 18by a transverse pivot 23 and provides the necessary tilting motion forthe flanged rail Wheels 19 when following irregular railroad rails.

By referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen thatthere are inverted U-shaped frames 24 mounted on the opposite ends of atorque bar in spaced relation to the outer surfaces of each of the sides11 and 12 of the mine car and of a height extending from above the upperedges of the sides 11 and 12 to below the lower edges thereof as bestseen in the side elevation comprising FIGURE 3 of the drawings. Theseinverted U-shaped frames 24 provide means for locating and holdingoppositely disposed tandem wheel assemblies, each of which includes apair of vertically standing elongated wheel plates 25 positioned inhorizontally spaced relation and provided with axles between theiroutermost spaced ends so that ground engaging rubber tired wheels 26 maybe rotatably mounted thereon. The elongated wheel plates 25 areinterconnected by spaced transverse frame plates 27 as best seen inFIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings and a pivot pin 28 is movably journalledin oppositely disposed apertures in the transverse frame plates 27 andhas a threaded opening midway between its ends which receive thethreaded end of a piston rod 29 which in turn comprises part of a pistonand cylinder assembly, the cylinder 30 of which has its upper endsecured by fasteners directly to the horizontal interconnecting portionof the U-shaped frame 24.

Hydraulic lines 31 interconnect the upper and lower ends of thehydraulic cylinder 30 with a hydraulic pump 32 as seen in FIGURE 4 ofthe drawing. The hydraulic pump 32 is mounted on a reservoir 33 which issecured to the outer surface of the side 12. The hydraulic pump 32 isprovided with a hand operating lever 34 so that pressure may beintroduced into the upper or lower portion of the hydraulic cylinder 30as determined by a hydraulic control valve 35 which controls thehydraulic lines 31.

It will be obvious that at such time as the rubber tired wheels 26 arein uppermost or lowermost position relative to the inverted U-sh-apedframe 24 and the mine car, it will be necessary to provide mechanicalmeans for holding the same in such position. By referring again to FIG-URES and 6 of the drawings, such means may be seen to comprise a pair ofvertical support members 36 positioned in spaced relation on the inneropposed sides of the elongated wheel plates 25 and each of which isprovided with a horizontally positioned projecting bracket 37. Thesevertically positioned support members 36 are secured by fasteners to thetransverse frame plates 27 heretofore referred to so that they areintegral parts of the tandem wheel supporting construction. Ahorizontally disposed plate 38 is secured to the base of the hydrauliccylinder 30 in spaced relation to the horizontal portion of the invertedU-shaped frame 24 and acts as a retainer with respect to a slide plate39 positioned therebelow and apertured centrally so as to permitrelative movement thereof with respect to the hydraulic cylinder 30. Aflexible cable 40 is secured to one end of the slide plate 39 andextends outwardly of the wheel assembly and is secured at its outermostend to a lever 41 as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The slideplate 39 has four depending legs 42 thereon, each of which has asideward projection 43 spaced with respect to the plate 39 and adaptedto be engaged beneath the projecting brackets 37 when the wheel platesand the rubber tired ground engaging wheels 26 are moved to theiruppermost position as seen in FIG- URE 5 of the drawings and the slideplate 39 is moved to the right to engage the projections 43 beneath theprojecting brackets 37. At such times as the rubber tired wheels 26 arein the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings or in brokenlines in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the mine car is supported by theflanged rail wheels 19 running, for example, on railroad rails such asillustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. At such time as the mine car isto operate on the mine floor, the hydraulic pump 32 is actuated toenergize the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 30 and move thepiston rod 29 downwardly as seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings,where it moves the pivot pin 28 and the transverse frame plates 27 andthe longitudinal wheel plates 25 and the rubber tired wheels 26downwardly until the upper surfaces of the horizontally positionedprojecting brackets 37 are below the legs 42. The slide plate 39 is thenmoved to position the legs 42 on the projecting brackets 37 as seen inFIGURE 6 of the drawings and the rubber tired wheel assemblies are heldin lowermost position.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that duplicate wheelassemblies are provided at each side of the mine car and that thehydraulic lines 31 extend to each side of the mine car and to theduplicate hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 30 so that the wheelsat each side of the mine car may be raised or lowered simultaneously bythe operation of the pump 32 as hereinbefore described.

Still referring to FIGURES 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will beobserved that there is a tubular member 44 positioned in apertures inthe bottom ends of the inverted U-shaped frame 24 and that the torquebar 45 which resiliently mounts the inverted U-shaped frame 24 and therubber tired wheel assemblies is positioned transversely beneath themine car and secured thereto midway thereof with its opposite endspositioned in and extending outwardly of the tubular members 44 in thewheel assemblies. Keys 46 are positioned in transverse slots in theopposite ends of the torque bar 45 and welded to the inverted U-shapedframes 24. The torque bar 45 provides effective springing relationbetween the wheel assemblies and the mine car.

It will thus be seen that the mine car with rail and rubber tired wheelsas disclosed herein comprises an efficient vehicle suitable for movingheavy loads in coal mines and the like whether or not they are providedwith railroad tracks.

It will also be seen that the movably mounted tandem ground engagingwheels arranged in outboard relation on the opposite sides of the minecar are pivotally mounted relative thereto and sprung with respectthereto by the unique arrangement of the torque bar positioned beneaththe middle of the mine car and secured thereto intermediate its ends sothat the entire outboard assemblies of the inverted U-shaped frames 24and the tandem wheels journalled on their axles between the elongatedplates 25 are movable about the axis of the torque bar 45 as well asmovable vertically relative thereto as hereinbefore set forth.

It will also be seen that there is an inherent tendency in the mine cardisclosed herein to maintain a level position under all road conditionsboth in loaded and unloaded state.

In addition to these several advantages and new, novel and unexpectedresults mentioned, the present mine car, because of its flexibility andmultiple wheel assembly eliminates a large amount of the torque on thetorque bar and thus materially prolongs the life of this part of theassembly. In addition, the tire life of the rubber tired wheels ismaterially lengthened as the load, including the weight of the mine caris evenly distributed on each of the four rubber tires of the mine car.

It will thus be seen that the mine car disclosed herein meets theseveral objects of the invention and having thus described our inventionwhat we claim is:

1. In a mine car, a body structure including side wall portions and afloor, rail wheel mounting axles and flanged rail wheels thereon beneathsaid floor, a torque rod positioned transversely beneath the floor ofthe mine car and secured thereto, a tandem wheel assembly secured toeach of the opposite ends of said torque rod beyond the sides of saidmine car, said tandem wheel assemblies including members definingvertically extending passageways, and a pair of spaced plates positionedin each of said vertically extending passageways and arranged forvertical movement relative thereto, wheel bearings extending between theplates at each end portion thereof, said wheel bearings being spacedequidistance from the center of the plates and rubber tired wheelsremovably mounted on said wheel bearings and means positioned betweensaid members defining said vertical passageways and said spaced platesfor moving said plates and said rubber tired wheels vertically relativeto said members from an upper position where said rubber tired wheelsare elevated with respect to said flanged rail wheels to a lowerposition where said rubber tired wheels are positioned below saidflanged rail wheels so that said mine car may be supported on eithersaid flanged rail wheels or said rubber tired wheels.

2. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein mechanical devices forholding said plates and rubber tired wheels in fixed position in saidmembers defining vertically extending passageways are located in saidvertically extending passageways.

3. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said members definingvertically extending passageways are inverted U-shaped members securedadjacent their spaced ends to said torque rod, and wherein said spacedplates carrying said rubber tired wheels have guides engaging saidinverted U-shaped members to maintain said U- shaped membersperpendicular to said plates.

4. The mine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said References Citedmeans for moving said plates carrying said rubber tired UNITED STATESPATENTS wheels comprise hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies, areservoir, a pump and fluid lines interconnecting 3/1905 f 105-215 theSame with said Cylinders 5 1,091,125 3/1914 Eickemeyer l05215 X 5. Themine car set forth in claim 1 and wherein said FOREIGN PATENTS means formoving said plates carrying said rubber tired Wheels comprise hydrauliccylinders secured to said mem- 299,108 10/1928 Great 'f F bers definingvertically extending passageways, secondary 373655 5/1932 GreatBntamplates interconnecting said vertical 'plates and a pin posi- Jtioned between said secondary plates, a piston and rod en- 10 ARTHUR LAPOINT 'mary Exammer' gaged in each of said cylinders and secured to saidpins. H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A MINE CAR, A BODY STRUCTURE INCLUDING SIDE WALL PORTIONS AND AFLOOR, RAIL WHEEL MOUNTING AXLES AND FLANGED RAIL WHEELS THEREON BENEATHSAID FLOOR, A TORQUE ROD POSITIONED TRANSVERSELY BENEATH THE FLOOR OFTHE MINE CAR AND SECURED THERETO, A TANDEM WHEEL ASSEMBLY SECURED TOEACH OF THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TORQUE ROD BEYOND THE SIDES OF SAIDMINE CAR, SAID TANDEM WHEEL ASSEMBIES INCLUDING MEMBERS DEFININGVERTICALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAYS, AND A PAIR OF SPACED PLATES POSITIONEDIN EACH OF SAID VERTICALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAYS AND ARRANGED FORVERTICAL MOVEMENT RALATIVE THERETO, WHEEL BEARINGS EXTENDING BETWEEN THEPLATES AT EACH END PORTION THEREOF, SAID WHEEL BEARINGS BEING SPACEDEQUIDISTANCE FROM THE CENTER OF THE PLATES AND RUBBER TIRED WHEELSREMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID WHEEL BEARINGS AND MEANS POSITIONED BETWEENSAID MEMBERS DEFINING SAID VERTICAL PASSAGEWAYS AND SAID SPACED PLATESFOR MOVING SAID PLATES AND SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS VERTICALLY RELATIVETO SAID MEMBERS FROM AN UPPER POSITION WHERE SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELSARE ELEVATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLANGED RAIL WHEELS TO A LOWERPOSITION WHERE SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS ARE POSITIONED BELOW SAIDFLANGED RAIL WHEELS SO THAT SAID MINE CAR MAY BE SUPPORTED ON EITHERSAID FLANGED RAIL WHEELS OR SAID RUBBER TIRED WHEELS.